Clearly in the midst of their best stretch of baseball this season, the Red Sox took it up even another notch with a thrilling 12-8 victory over the Yankees on Friday night in the Bronx.

Matt Garza took a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning, but the Angels posted a five-spot, and former Rangers ace C.J. Wilson cashed in the rally to knock Texas down to second place in the American League West.

Both reliever John Axford and manager Mike Matheny were ejected from the Cardinals’ 12-8 victory over the Pirates on Friday night after Axford hit Tony Sanchez with a pitch.

The Cardinals got in the first lick, and a big one, with a 12-8 win Friday night at Busch Stadium that inched them within a half-game of the Pirates in the NL Central.

Righty Anibal Sanchez fired seven strong innings and didn’t want for offense as the Tigers banged out 26 hits while logging two five-run innings in a 16-2 rout of the Royals on Friday night.

More than a decade after Scott Kazmir was drafted by the Mets, there remains a fascination over the lefty in New York. He was the can’t-miss prospect that was traded away before even getting a taste of the big league stage in Queens. Kazmir’s career took a circuitous course to Friday night in Cleveland, where he took down the club that had such high hopes for him so long ago in an 8-1 victory for the Indians, who moved within two games of an AL Wild Card spot.

On Friday night, fans across the country cheered for Yusmeiro Petit as he came within one out of throwing the 24th perfect game in history, no small feat for anyone, let alone a journeyman pitcher who spent 11 seasons in the Minors.

Every time the St. Louis Cardinals appear to be in difficulty, one of their young pitchers, with top-shelf stuff and the composure of a veteran, puts the Redbirds back in business. One young fellow prominent in that role recently is Joe Kelly

Current Beat the Streak leader Clement Uduk is up to 45 straight successful selections after Matt Carpenter’s triple Friday.

The Cardinals’ hot bats steamrolled the Pirates with a 12-8 victory Friday night, building a modest 5-1 lead behind another solid outing by Joe Kelly and punctuating it with an explosive seven-run seventh inning. St. Louis is now a half-game back in the NL Central.

Alex Rodriguez’s arbitration hearing has been tentatively scheduled to begin on Sept. 30, according to multiple reports published on Friday.

Red Sox closer Koji Uehara retired his 27th straight batter on Friday night, striking out Robinson Cano to complete a masterpiece that has spanned nine outings.

Mike Napoli hit a game-tying grand slam off Boone Logan and Shane Victorino connected for a go-ahead, two-run shot off Preston Claiborne, highlighting a nine-run barrage against New York relievers as the Red Sox rallied for a 12-8 victory over the Yankees.

Chris Capuano exited after just five outs due to injury and the Dodgers were held scoreless after Hanley Ramirez’s homer in the first inning in a 3-2 loss to the Reds on Friday at Great American Ball Park.

Joey Votto broke out of a slump with a big night and Mike Leake retired 13 in a row at one point as the Reds downed the Dodgers, 3-2, on Friday at Great American Ball Park.

At home, Jose Fernandez has been unbeatable all season. In Friday night’s 7-0 victory over the Nationals, the 21-year-old sensation was almost unhittable over seven scoreless innings.

Chris Davis, Danny Valencia and Matt Wieters each homered to back a strong performance from starter Scott Feldman as the Orioles scored a 4-0 victory against the White Sox on Friday night.